ABSTRACT
The effect of provenance on nutritional attributes of the edible pulp of baobab (Adansonia digitata) from different districts of Malawi was investigated. Vitamin C was analyzed by the 2, 6-dichlorophenolindophenol titrimetry while vitamin A and minerals were measured by spectrophotometry and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, respectively. In general, the pulp contained high levels of vitamin C and minerals, which were significantly influenced (p ≤ 0.05) by provenance. Baobab fruit pulp from Chikwawa district showed significantly highest (p ≤ 0.05) vitamin C content (347.67 ± 3.52 mg/100 g) as compared to the rest of the samples. Fruits from Mangochi district showed highest vitamin A content (60.92 ± 1.20 mg/kg). Those from Dedza district had highest contents of calcium (2788 ± 129. 43 mg/kg) and copper (5.02 ± 1.01 mg/kg) while those from Mangochi showed highest contents of potassium (1172 ± 186.22 mg/kg) and zinc (5.18 ± 2.10 mg/kg). Highest sodium content (282.30 ± 13.00 mg/kg) was observed in fruit pulp from Mwanza district. Therefore, the results from this work clearly indicate that provenance influences the level of most nutritional attributes of A. digitata fruit pulp. This knowledge is necessary for identification of sites containing nutritious fresh baobab fruits for consumption or quality product development. |
